1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to surgical instruments, and more particularly to a surgical needle holder that provides a holding and driving instrument for a suture needle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A needle holder, also called a needle driver, is a surgical instrument similar to a hemostat that is used by doctors and surgeons to hold a suturing needle for closing wounds during suturing and surgical procedures. The surgical needle holder assists the surgeon in perforating the tissue and creating the tracts at a desired depth. The surgical needle holder is configured to hold the needles securely when creating the tracts, and is also configured to disengage from the needles after the tracts have been created. It is common surgical practice for a physician to join various tissues by passing a needle with attached suture through the tissue. The suture is then tied to approximate the tissues.
The parts of a simple needle holder are the jaws, the joint and the handles. Most needle holders also have a clamp mechanism that locks the needle in place, allowing the user to maneuver the needle through various tissues. To maintain a firm grip on the needle, the jaws are often textured and short compared to the handles, thereby increasing the applied force via the lever principle. With the simple needle holder, the handle portion and the jaws portion work together in-plane. One particular problem arises when the surgeon, from an ergonomic standpoint, needs to operate the jaws with his/her hand rotated 90° from the jaws action.
Thus, a surgical needle holder solving the aforementioned problems is desired.